Fox Chapel girls volleyball team leaning on experience in quest to return to playoffs

By: Josh Rizzo
Saturday, September 14, 2024 | 11:01 AM

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The Fox Chapel girls volleyball team is fortunate to have so much experience at the top of the lineup.

The Foxes returned eight seniors this season and will hope to see that group grow together as they seek a return trip to the WPIAL Class 4A playoffs.

Fox Chapel coach Diana Andreyko joked that her team almost gets along too well.

“They have played together for a long time,” Andreyko said. “That plays into an advantage for them for the most part. It can be hard when you have to be a little grittier with some of your teammates.”

The Foxes have been tested by a tough nonsection schedule. Fox Chapel, which is 1-4 overall and 0-2 in Section 4-4A, recently lost 3-2 to Norwin.

“For us to make it into the playoffs, we will have to bring our game to the court,” Andreyko said. “I think we are capable of winning a lot of games. It’s about having that mentality initially to start the game the way we can play.”

Bringing back so much experience gives the Foxes plenty of options to attack opponents. Where Fox Chapel is the strongest is in the middle.

Vanessa Perez Milano and Emma DiRocco can help Fox Chapel produce points from the middle of the lineup. Both were chosen to the all-section team last year. Fellow senior Claire Feczko is a returning all-section player and can do a lot of different things on the court.

“At any point, we can run fast tempo through our middles,” Andreyko said. “Certainly, whenever the serve/receive is there, we want to run the ball through our middles. I don’t know any coach that wouldn’t want to play with a fast tempo.”

Fox Chapel has run into some early roadblocks. During the Foxes’ first two section matches with Shaler, the Foxes suffered a pair of 3-1 losses.

Andreyko said the team is just worried about development and not who is on the schedule. Fox Chapel moved up to Class 4A this season.

“We aren’t worried about who is in the section,” Andreyko said. “We are taking care of our own play and controlling what we can control on our side.”

Tags: Fox Chapel